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HATTIE  ELIZABETH  LEWIS  MEMORIAL 
ESSAYS  IN  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY 


THE  APPLICATION  OF  THE  TEACHINGS  OF  JESUS  TO 

"THE  RESPONSIBILITY  OF  THE  CAPITALIST  TO 

THE  PUBLIC" 


? » .. . 

if 


/ 


An  Essay 
submitted  in  competition  for 

THE  HATTIE  ELIZABETH  LEWIS  PRIZE,  OF  1921 


By  ROBERT  HENRy/aLBACH 


'7r^' 


.# 


HATTIE  ELIZABETH  LEWIS  MEMORIAL 
ESSAYS  IN  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY 


THE  APPLICATION  OF  THE  TEACHINGS  OF  JESUS  TO 

'THE  RESPONSIBILITY  OF  THE  CAPITALIST  TO 

THE  PUBLIC" 


An  Essay 
submitted  in  competition  for 

THE  HATTIE  ELIZABETH  LEWIS  PRIZE,  OF  1921 


By  ROBERT  HENRY  ALBACH 


PREB6  or  THE 

DEPARTMENT   OF   JOUBNALIBM 

fJNIVEReiTY   OF   KANSAS 

LAWRENCE 

1921 


/ 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

The  Hattie  Elizabeth  Lewis  Memorial 

This  Memorial  was  established  in  the  University  of 
Kansas  in  1911,  in  memory  of  Hattie  Elizabeth  Lewis,  a 
former  student  of  the  University.  It  was  founded  by 
Professor  George  Edward  Patrick,  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
and  is  maintained  out  of  funds  put  into  the  hands  of  the 
Chancellor  of  the  University  a  few  months  before  Professor 
Patrick's  death,  which  occurred  March  22,  1916.  Professor 
Patrick  was  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  University  of 
Kansas  from  1874  to  1883.  He  and  Miss  Lewis  were  married 
in  1883.    Mrs.  Patrick  died  in  1909. 

The  Memorial  takes  the  form  of  an  annual  competition  in 
essay  writing,  open  to  all  students  of  the  University  of 
Kansas.  The  general  theme  of  the  essays  submitted  in  this 
competition  is  "The  Application  of  the  Teachings  of  Jesus  to 
the  Practical  Affairs  and  Relations  of  Life,  Individual, 
Social,  Industrial,  Commercial,  or  Political ;"  but  each  essay 
must  deal  with  a  single  definite  subject,  or  a  single  phase  of 
life.  In  the  competition  for  the  year  1916-17,  the  University 
committee  in  charge  of  the  competition  itself  prescribed  the 
particular  phase  of  the  general  theme  to  which  contestants 
were  to  be  confined:  "The  Application  of  the  Spirit  and 
Teachings  of  Jesus  to  the  Relations  between  the  Individual 
and  Society."  Each  essay  is  required  to  be  not  less  than 
5,000  nor  more  than  10,000  words  in  length. 


ivi572560 


"The  only  final  solution  of  any  social  problem    must   be   a    religious 
one," — Hugh  Black. 

CONTENTS 

Bibliography  32 

A.  Guideposts  to  a  Study  of  the  Teachings  of 

Jesus   Christ 5 

1.  Introductory,  6 ;  2.  His  Motive  Must 
be  Kept  in  Mind  in  Interpreting  His 
Message,  6 ;  3.  His  Method  of  Teaching 
was  Unsystematic,  7;  4.  His  Life  was 
Part  of  His  Message,  8;  His  View  was 
from  Above,  9. 

B.  The  Teachings  of  Jesus  Regarding  Wealth 11 

1.  Introductory,  12 ;  2.  Jesus'  General 
Attitude  Toward  Wealth,  12 ;  3.  Wealth 
Regarded  as  a  Trust,  13 ;  4.  Wealth  Re- 
garded as  a  Peril,  15. 

C.  The  Responsibility  of   the    Capitalist    to    the 

Public   17 

1.  Introductory,  18;  2.  The  Obligation 
of  Service,  20,;  3.  The  Obligation  of 
Oversight  of  Labor,  22 ;  4.  The  Obliga- 
tion of  Sacrifice,  24;  5.  The  Personal 
Obligation  of  Example,  27. 


"Ye  call  me,  Teacher,  and  Lord :  and  ye  say  well ;  for  so  I  am" — 
John  13:13. 


A.     GUIDEPOSTS  TO  A  STUDY  OF   THE   TEACHINGS 
OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 

1.  Introductory,  6 ;  2.  His  Motive  Must 
be  Kept  in  Mind  in  Interpreting  His 
Message,  6;  3.  His  Method  of  Teaching 
was  Unsystematic,  7;  4.  His  Life  was 
Part  of  His  Message,  9;  5.  His  View 
was  from  Above,  9. 


A.    GUIDEPOSTS  TO  A  STUDY   OF   THE   TEACHINGS 
OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 

1.  INTRODUCTORY 

In  taking  up  a  study  of  this  nature,  the  student  is  at 
first  confronted  with  the  ideas  presented  by  the  more 
skeptically  inclined  that  the  Bible  does  not  offer  a  suffic- 
iently unified  system  of  teaching  to  render  it  valuable  as  an 
aid  in  solving  our  present  day  social  problems.  The  diffi- 
culty is  best  illustrated  with  the  phrase  one  hears  so  often 
to  the  effect  that  "you  can  prove  or  disprove  anything  by 
the  Bible." 

To  furnish  a  foundation,  this  treatment  will  therefore 
first  make  a  brief  analysis  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  as  a 
whole,  in  order  that  an  insight  may  be  gained  which  will 
make  possible  a  more  accurate  interpretation  of  those 
principles  laid  down  by  the  Master  which  refer  especially  to 
the  subject  of  this  essay. 

Four  points  stand  out  as  essential  conditions  with  which 
we  should  first  familiarize  ourselves,  (1)  His  motive  must 
be  kept  in  mind  in  interpreting  His  message,  (2)  His  method 
of  teaching  was  unsystematic,  (3)  His  life  is  part  of  His 
m.essage  and  (4)  His  view  was  from  above. 

2.  HIS  MOTIVE  MUST  BE  KEPT  IN  MIND  IN  INTER- 
PRETING HIS  MESSAGE 

The  supreme  purpose  of  Jesus'  life  on  this  Earth  was 
the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  This  was  not  a 
social  subdivision  in  the  common  use  of  the  word.  Jesus  ac- 
cepted the  existing  social  ideals  of  the  Hebrews  (the  King- 
doms of  Israel,  David,  etc.)  in  their  entirety,  but  his  object 
was  to  superimpose  over  these  a  spiritual  kingdom  which 
affected  the  lives  of  men  individually  in  their  relation  with 
others.    Rev.  W.  M.  Clow  has  ably  described  this  Kingdom 


Guideposts  to  a  Study  of  the  Teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  7 

as  "The  rule  and  realm  of  God  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of 
men".^  Jesus  saw  as  the  one  fundamental  social  ill  the 
unbrotherly  attitude  of  man  toward  man,  and  His  Kingdom 
proposed  to  remove  this  by  the  idea  of  a  divine  fatherhood 
and  a  human  brotherhood. 

We  can  readily  see  then,  that  He  was  not  a  social 
reformer  of  the  modern  type.  In  fact  He  was  not  a  reformer 
at  all,  but  rather  a  revealer.  He  was  not  concerned 
with  the  reorganization  of  human  society,  but  with  the  dis- 
closure of  the  human  soul  in  its  relation  to  God.  He  saw 
the  evil  and  the  sufferings  of  men  but  approached  them 
purely  from  a  moral  point  of  view.  He  wanted  men  to  live  a 
right  life  in  common,  and  dealt  with  social  questions  only  in 
so  far  as  they  were  moral  questions.  He  made  no  division  of 
humanity  into  Jews  and  Gentiles,  wealthy  and  poor,  etc. ;  He 
moved  among  all  social  classes  and  showed  absolutely  no 
favoritism  to  any  one  over  another.  It  has  been  said  that 
Jesus  was  especially  a  friend  of  the  poor  with  the  implication 
that  He  did  not  well  regard  the  rich,  but  an  analysis  of  any 
instance  which  seems  to  favor  this  supposition  will  disclose 
that  His  criterion  was  not  wealth  or  poverty,  but  the 
attitude  of  men  toward  His  Kingdom.  His  one  and  only 
dividing  line  between  human  beings  was  as  to  "good  and 
evil,  between  those  who  opened  their  heart  to  the  new  life 
and  those  who  closed  it".^ 

In  short  we  may  say  that  Jesus  believed  that  a  better 
social  order  was  to  be  obtained  only  through  better  men. 
Personal  responsibility  was  His  great  theme  and  here  is  an 
important  contrast  between  His  theory  and  most  of  our 
present  day  ideas.  We  seem  to  think  that  the  better  social 
order  is  merely  the  problem  of  better  institutions  while 
Jesus  saw  it  to  be  a  problem  of  better  men. 

3.    HIS  METHOD  OF  TEACHING  WAS  UNSYSTEMATIC 

As  before  stated,  Jesus  is  best  described  as  a  revealer. 
This  idea  is  further  carried  out  by  observing  His  method  of 

1.     W.  M.   Clow:   Christ  and   the  2.     Rauschenbusch:    Christianity 

Social  Order,  p.  79  and  the  Social  Crisis,  p.   61 


8  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

teaching.  We  do  not  find  a  systematically  outlined  course 
of  instruction  but  rather  the  seemingly  disunited  Oriental 
method  of  pointed  sayings,  parables,  and  brief  expositions. 
His  method  is  inspirational.  We  immediately  wonder  if 
there  may  be  any  significance  in  this  fact  and  m  answer  H. 
C.  King  points  out  that  "Jesus  does  not  speak  like  an 
amateur  but  rather  like  a  master,  who  can  be  careless  of 
form  and  system,  because  He  knows  that  true  insights  can- 
not help  fitting  one  another".^  This  method  calls  for  much 
analysis  on  the  part  of  the  student,  but  with  the  certain 
result  that  throughout  all  He  says  one  can  see  a  very 
thorough-going  unity. 

iiiiorner  point  which  serves  to  increase  the  apparent 
disunity  of  His  sayings  lies  in  the  fact  that  substantially 
the  same  story  is  recorded  in  each  of  the  four  Gospels  and 
here  we  must  contend  with  the  personality  of  the  writer  in 
order  to  arrive  at  Jesus'  true  intent.  For  instance,  His  social 
teachings  are  recorded  with  most  detail  in  Matthew  and 
Luke  and  wherever  these  two  report  the  same  incidents  we 
find  that  Luke  invariably  writes  in  a  severer  strain.  His 
condemnations  of  the  rich  especially  are  of  a  much  more 
universal  form  than  those  found  elsewhere.  So  where 
Matthew  says  "Give  to  him  that  asketh  thee",  Luke  writes, 
"Give  to  everyone" ;  again  Matthew's  "Sell  that  thou  hast" 
may  be  contrasted  with  Luke's  "Sell  all  that  thou  hast"  and 
where  Matthew  says  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit"  we  find 
almost  an  entirely  different  thought  in  Luke's  "Blessed  are 
ye  poor,  but  woe  unto  ye  that  are  rich".  Luke  seems  to 
interpret  Jesus'  remarks  on  poverty  as  if  He  referred  to 
temporal  poverty  instead  of  the  spiritual  poverty  which 
Matthew  clearly  expresses.  Luke's  attitude  may  be  ex- 
plained by  the  fact  that  he  was  affected  by  Ebionite  ten- 
dencies, the  Ebionites  being  a  number  of  ascetic  communities 
and  sects  in  and  about  Palestine  which  practised  poverty 
and  abstinence.  We  can  thus  see  how  his  version  of  the 
story  is  colored  by  his  own  personality  and  prejudice.* 

3.     H.    C.    King:      The   Ethics   of  4.     Penhoriv:      Jesus   Christ   and 

Jesus  the  Social  Question. 


Guideposts  to  a  Study  of  the  Teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  9 

4.  HIS  LIFE  WAS  PART  OF  HIS  MESSAGE 

King  says,  "The  great  and  unique  contribution  which, 
above  all  else,  Jesus  makes  to  ethics  and  religion  is  Him- 
self".' Here,  we  may  say,  is  the  key  to  aid  in  clearing  up 
the  apparent  disunity  of  His  many  scattered  sayings.  If  we 
can  view  these  remarks  through  the  personality  of  their 
author  we  may  see  the  true  and  deeper  meaning  which  He 
really  intended  to  convey.  For  instance,  we  find  such  sayings 
as  "How  hardly  shall  they  that  have  riches  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,"  "Woe  unto  you  that  are  rich,"  "Lay 
not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon  the  earth",  "Ye  cannot 
serve  God  and  Mammon"  and  "It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go 
through  a  needle's  eye  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  the 
Kingdom  of  God".  These  sayings  have  been  eagerly  grasped 
by  agitators  as  protests  against  an  industrial  system  based 
on  private  capital  and  are  but  an  example  of  the  easy  literal- 
ism which  has  throughout  all  history  distorted  the  teaching 
of  the  Gospel.  If  we  really  want  to  know  what  Jesus  intend- 
ed to  convey  with  these  remarks  we  must  pass  from  the 
letter  of  the  Gospel  to  the  spirit  of  it ;  we  must  try,  by  care- 
ful scrutiny  and  comparison  to  gain  an  impression  of  the 
Life  which  gave  authority  to  them,  and,  keeping  ever  in 
mind  His  supreme  purpose,  we  shall  see  that  their  real 
meaning  is  often  quite  different  from  that  which  the  bare 
words  would  imply. 

5.  HIS  VIEW  WAS  FROM  ABOVE 

One  striking  attitude  of  Jesus  which  commands  our 
attention  and  which  tends  to  make  more  difficult  a  study  of 
this  nature,  is  His  refusal  to  become  involved  in  the  social 
entanglements  of  His  time.  Almost  every  possible  social 
question  was  brought  before  Him  in  some  form  or  another. 
Simon  Zelotes,  one  of  His  apostles,  was  a  member  of  an 
insurrectory  league;  Barabbas  gained  great  popularity 
through  constant  protests  against  the  oppressed  conditions 
of  life;  Gamahel,  in  his  address^  refers  to  outbreaks  under 

5.     H.    C.   King-:     The  Ethics   of  6.     Acts  5:34-40. 

Jesus,    p.    199. 


10  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

Theudas  and  Judas  of  Galilee  which  were  motived  by  social 
unrest,  but  Jesus  was  very  careful  to  keep  alooi  -prom  all  of 
these  movements.  His  attitude  is  concretely  expressed  in 
Luke  12:13  where  one  of  the  company  approached  Him 
saying,  "Lord,  speak  to  my  brother,  that  he  divide  his 
inheritance  with  me"  and  received  the  immediate  answer, 
'•Man,  who  made  me  a  judge  or  divider  over  you?" 

This  attitude  is  taken  however  with  a  very  definite 
purpose,  for  by  keeping  His  mind  above  the  social  issues  of 
the  day  He  gained  a  wonderful  insight  and  wisdom  con- 
cerning them.  "He  only  truly  sees  things  who  sees  around 
them  and  beyond  them.  Breadth  of  wisdom  requires  a  large 
horizon  of  the  mind.  The  wise  counsellor  is  he  who  stands 
above  the  issue  which  calls  for  judgment  and  sees  it  in  the 
perspective  of  a  wide  experience".  In  John  12:32  Jesus 
himself  gives  the  reason  for  this  tendency  with  the  words 
"And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth  will  draw  all  men  to 
myself". 

Another  point  connected  with  this  thought  is  that  the 
ideals  of  Jesus  are  more  far  reaching  than  His  own  specific 
appHcation  of  them.  For  example.  He  says  nothing  about  the 
methods  by  which  wealth  should  be  gained,  yet  no  one  would 
doubt  that  He  would  severely  condemn  a  man  who  gave 
away  money  obtained  at  the  expense  of  the  rights  of  others. 

Bearing  these  few  general  points  in  mind,  we  now  have 
a  guide  to  aid  us  in  our  study  and  will  proceed  to  the  next 
step  in  the  development  of  our  subject. 


"But  seek  ye  first  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  His  Righteousness" — 
Matthew  6:23. 


B.    THE  TEACHINGS  OF  JESUS  REGARDING  WEALTH 

1.  Introductory,  12;  2.  Jesus'  General 
Attitude  Toward  Wealth,  12 ;  3.  Wealth 
Regarded  as  a  Trust,  13 ;  4.  Wealth  Re- 
garded as  a  Peril,  15. 


B.    THE  TEACHINGS  OF  JESUS  REGARDING  WEALTH 

1.  INTRODUCTORY 

It  is  the  logical  thing  in  a  study  such  as  this,  to  begin 
with  an  accurate  definition  of  the  terms  concerned.  We 
should  have  clearly  in  mind  just  what  is  meant  by  such 
words  as  "capital",  "capitalist",  and  "public".  In  a  later 
paragraph  we  shall  go  into  this  question  with  greater  detail, 
but  for  the  present,  let  us  concern  ourselves  briefly  with 
the  term  "capital".  The  most  rudimentary  definition  is 
that  found  in  Webster,  "Capital  is  wealth  used  to  assist 
production".  Economists  elaborate  on  this  in  many  ways 
but  for  our  present  purpose  we  may  say  that  this  definition 
meets  our  needs. 

Now  since  we  are  living  under  a  system  of  private  pro- 
perty and  are  dealing  with  a  personal  problem  of  men  who 
control  this  property,  or  in  other  words,  this  wealth,  we 
may  safely  assume  that  the  definition  also  implies  that  a 
capitalist  is  one  who  possesses  wealth  in  excess  of  the 
requirements  for  his  own  physical  existence.  We  have  now 
come  to  the  point  which  explains  this  step  in  our  study, 
namely,  before  we  can  ascertain  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
regarding  the  responsibilities  of  the  capitalist,  we  must 
know  something  about  His  attitude  toward  wealth  and  its 
possession. 

2.  JESUS'  GENERAL  ATTITUDE  TOWARD  WEALTH 

First,  we  may  make  the  general  observation  that  Jesus 
was  at  no  time  greatly  concerned  with  the  question  of 
wealth  or  poverty.  Although  His  life  was  lived  in  poverty 
and  naturally  caused  Him  to  be  sympathetic  toward  the 
poor,  it  did  not  in  any  sense  prevent  His  friendship  with  the 
rich.  On  passing  through  Jericho,  He  stayed  at  the  home  of 
the  wealthy  Zacchaeus  and  pronounced  His  blessing  upon 
the  host  on  leaving.'  He  also  accepted,  with  much  joy,  the 
hospitality  of  the  rich  publican,  Levi.® 

7.     Luke  19:1-10.  8.     Luke  5:27-34. 


The  Teachings  of  Jesus  Regarding  Wealth  13 

Jesus  does  make  clear  however  that  He  regarded  wealth 
as  a  secondary  value  and  here  again  we  are  forced  to  bear  in 
mind  His  supreme  purpose.  In  the  parable  of  tne  marriage 
of  the  king's  son**  Jesus  expresses  His  sense  of  the  folly  of 
men  to  be  indifferent  to  the  greatest  values  of  life.  The 
pursuit  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  was,  to  Him,  the  greatest 
value,  and  the  pursuit  of  material  prosperity  of  lesser  im- 
portance. 

Secondly,  we  may  say  that  Jesus  did  regard  riches  even 
as  an  achievement,  if  honorably  accumulated.  His  scathing 
condemnations  of  the  rich  Scribes  and  Pharisees  are  not 
attacks  against  their  wealth  but  rather  the  means  by  which 
they  gained  it.  The  parables  of  the  talents  and  pounds 
witness  that  He  believed  wealth  might  be  an  entirely  honor- 
able achievement.  "Men  have  failed  to  see  that  what  Christ 
condemned  was  not  riches,  but  coveteousness  and  the  mis- 
use of  riches — and  this  may  be  a  passion  of  the  poor  as 
well".^'^  Luke  12:14-15  gives  substance  to  this  idea  with 
the  words  "Take  heed  and  beware  of  covetousness ;  for  a 
man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things 
which  he  possesseth". 

We  are  now  ready  to  go  into  more  detail  with  regard  to 
Jesus'  attitude  toward  wealth  and  find  that  He  expounds 
tvv'o  important  views,  (1)  the  thought  of  wealth  as  a  trust  to 
be  used  and  (2)  the  thought  of  wealth  as  a  peril  to  be 
escaped.  These  would  seem  at  first  to  be  in  conflict  with 
each  other,  but  our  discussion  will  reveal  that  this  is  not 
the  case. 

3.    WEALTH  REGARDED  AS  A  TRUST 

"So  then,  every  one  of  us  shall  give  account  of  himself 
to  God","  "Watch  therefore,  for  ye  know  not  the  day  or  the 
hour"^-,  "Be  ye  also  ready  for  in  the  hour  that  ye  think  not, 
the  Son  of  Man  cometh"^^  These  words  and  the  teaching  of 
the  parable  of  the  talents,  as  well  as  His  observations  at  the 
dinner  party  described  in  Luke  14:1-23  all  give  expression 


9. 

Matt.   22:2-11. 

11. 

Matt.    14:12. 

10. 

W.  M.   Clow:  Christ  and   the 

12. 

Matt.    2.5:13. 

Social  Order,  p.  95. 

13. 

Luke    12:40. 

14  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

to  the  thought  that  Jesus  regarded  Hfe  and  all  its  powers  as  a 
trust  given  to  all.  Referring  especially  to  the  subject  of 
wealth,  we  may  interpret  this  thought  to  mean  that  Jesus 
regarded  it  as  a  stewardship  and  in  no  case  permitted  the 
sense  of  absolute  ownership.  He  looked  upon  wealth  in  the 
possession  of  man  as  a  gift  which  he  is  required  to  use 
wisely  and  for  which  he  may  at  any  time  be  called  to  ac- 
count. In  the  parable  of  the  talents  He  commended  the 
servant  who  made  good  use  of  his  entrusted  wealth  and 
condemned  the  one  who  could  show  no  good  from  his  period 
of  possession.  In  commenting  on  the  dinner  party  portrayed 
in  Luke  14:1-23,  Peters  says,  "Our  Lord,  in  His  talk  that 
afternoon,  laid  down  the  fundamental  law  of  Christian 
society.  Seek  not  merely  nor  first  for  your  own  welfare, 
your  own  promotion  and  advancement.  As  you  recognize 
the  rights  and  virtues  of  others,  as  you  give  them  place,  as 
you  help  those  who  are  unsuccessful,  unfortunate,  un- 
friended, you  show  yourself  a  follower  of  Christ.  When 
you  seek  for  yourself  only,  you  are  His  enemy  and  betrayer. 
He  who,  having  wealth,  a  beautiful  house,  picture  galleries 
and  the  like,  regards  them  as  his  own,  to  be  used  just  for  his 
own  pleasure,  the  satisfaction  of  selfish  social  ambition,  has 
failed  to  recognize  the  fundamental  principle  of  his  steward- 
ship of  wealth".^* 

The  important  point  in  connection  with  the  thought  of 
wealth  as  a  trust  is  that  it  should  be  administered  to  the 
greatest  possible  good.  The  parables  of  the  talents,  the 
pounds,  the  unjust  steward,  and  the  foolish  rich  man  all 
emphasize  the  duty  of  fidelity,  watchfulness  and  foresight  in 
the  administration  of  wealth.  Jesus  even  goes  so  far  as  to 
exhort  His  followers  to  "make  friends  of  the  mammon  of 
unrighteousness",  pointing  out  that  fidelity  in  the  use  of 
material  wealth  is  the  stepping  stone  to  the  entrustment 
of  the  "true  riches".  In  Luke  16:11-12,  in  the  parable  of 
the  unjust  steward,  He  says,  "If  therefore  ye  have  not  been 
faithful  in  the  unrighteous  mammon  (material  wealth)  who 

14.     J.  P.  Peters:  Modern  Christ- 
ianity, p.  219. 


The  Teachings  of  Jesus  Regarding  Wealth  15 

will  commit  to  your  trust  the  true  riches  ?  And  if  ye  have 
not  been  faithful  in  that  which  is  another  man's,  who  shall 
give  you  that  which  is  your  own  ?"  Finally  He  warns  those 
who  refuse  to  view  wealth  as  a  stewardship  with  "For  what 
is  a  man  profited,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  or 
forfeit  his  own  self  ?"^^ 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  each  of  the  temptations 
of  Jesus  was  in  a  sense  a  temptation  to  the  abuse  of  a  trust, 
and  to  all  alike  He  answered  that  His  power  was  given  Him 
for  the  sake  of  the  Kingdom  and  was  not  to  be  used  to 
personal  advantage. 

4.    WEALTH  REGARDED  AS  A  PERIL 

We  may  well  wonder  with  what  manner  of  consistency 
Jesus  could  commend  wealth  as  an  achievement  and  at  the 
same  time  seem  to  condemn  it  as  a  peril.  A  closer  study 
however  discloses  the  fact  that  His  attitude  was  entirely 
one  of  the  individual.  The  person  who  masters  his  wealth 
and  regards  it  as  a  stewardship,  as  a  means  to  an  end,  the 
end  being  the  attainment  of  a  higher  spiritual  level,  is  held 
in  high  regard  by  Jesus,  who  terms  his  wealth  an  achieve- 
ment. But  the  person  to  whom  wealth  is  itself  an  end,  who 
permits  wealth  to  completely  master  him,  to  him  Jesus 
directs  His  many  words  of  warning  in  which  wealth  is  re- 
garded as  a  peril. 

In  His  effort  to  create  a  true  human  society,  Jesus 
found  riches  to  be  a  strong  divisive  force  which  wedged 
society  apart  in  horizontal  strata  between  which  fellow- 
feeling  was  paralyzed.  This  condition  was  adverse  to  the 
spiritual  progress  of  men  and  whenever  He  lound  men  af- 
fected by  it  He  condemned  their  wealth.  This  is  the  reason 
why  He  called  upon  the  rich  young  ruler  to  give  up  his 
wealth."  On  the  other  hand,  Nicodemus,  although  a  wealthy 
man,  was  not  requested  to  part  with  his  riches  because  Jesus 
saw  that  they  were  not  standing  in  the  way  of  his  spiritual 
attainments. 

15.     Luke  9:25.  IG.     Mark   10:17-31. 


16  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

Jesus  saw  moral  dangers  in  wealth.  In  Matthew  13:22 
He  says,  "The  care  of  this  world  and  the  deceitfulness  of 
riches  choke  the  word,  and  he  becometh  unfruitful".  Also 
in  Matthew  6:19-34  He  points  out  that  when  a  man  lays  up 
treasure,  his  heart  is  almost  always  with  his  treasure  and 
gradually  his  inner  light  is  darkened  and  his  conscience  be- 
comes blurred.  Again  in  1  Timothy  6:9,  "They  that  will  be 
rich  fall  into  temptation  and  a  snare  and  into  many  foolish 
and  hurtful  lusts  which  drown  men  in  perdition".  Again 
with  regard  to  the  parable  of  Lazarus  and  Dives,  J.  P. 
Peters  says,  "What  is  condemned  in  this  parable  is  not 
gluttony  or  drunkenness;  it  is  not  wealth  itself.  It  is  the 
man  wrapped  in  luxury  and  self -enjoyment  whose  heart  is 
hard  and  selfish  toward  the  miserable  and  needy,  who,  in- 
stead of  conceiving  of  his  wealth  as  a  means  of  givtng  to 
them  that  have  not,  uses  it  for  his  own  pleasure  and  that  of 
his  family  and  a  few  chosen  friends,  content  that  the  mis- 
erable beggar  should  live  on  the  leavings  of  his  feast".^" 

We  maj'  take  then,  as  our  conclusion,  that  Jesus  held 
nothing  against  wealth  in  itself  but  only  against  the 
attitude  of  some  men  toward  it.  The  thought  is  concrete  in 
the  passage  "The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man  and  not  man 
for  the  Sabbath",^®  which  teaches  that  "institutions,  even 
the  highest  and  most  sacred  of  all,  are  intended  for  means, 
and  are  never  to  be  exalted  into  ends  in  themselves".^^  So 
wealth  is  a  good  thing,  even  an  achievement,  if  men  know 
how  to  use  it. 

17.     J.  P.   Peters:  Modern  Christ-  18.     Mark    2:27. 

ianity,  p.  -243.  19.     H.    C.    King:    The  Ethics     of 

Jesus,  p.  119. 


"Recollect   that    you    were    born   for   the    duties    of    society" — 
Marcus  Aurelius. 


C.    THE   RESPONSIBILITY  OF   THE   CAPITALIST  TO 
THE  PUBLIC 

1.  Introductory,  18;  2.  The  Obligation 
of  Service,  20;  3.  The  Obligation  of 
Oversight  of  Labor,  22;  4  The  Obliga- 
tion of  Sacrifice,  24;  5.  The  Personal 
Obligation  of  Example,  27. 


C.    THE  RESPONSIBILITY   OF   THE   CAPITALIST   TO 
THE  PUBLIC. 

1.    INTRODUCTORY. 

We  are  now  ready  to  analyze  the  teachings  of  Jesus 
with  the  specific  purpose  of  learning  those  principles  laid 
down  by  him  as  being  obligations  of  the  capitalist  to  the 
public.  When  we  say  the  capitalist  owes  certain  obligations 
we  infer  that  the  public  has  corresponding  rights.  But 
let  us  first  see  who  the  "pubhc"  is  and  then,  what  may  be  its 
rights. 

When  we  speak  of  the  "public"  we  mean  the  general 
body  of  mankind ;  the  people  indefinitely.  In  social  questions, 
especially  labor  disputes,  the  term  is  applied  to  those  out- 
side the  parties  to  the  dispute,  or  to  those  not  immediately 
concerned.  In  a  democracy,  the  state,  which  is  merely  a 
unit  term  applied  to  the  public  as  a  whole,  is  the  source  of 
all  rights  that  individuals  may  enjoy.  Political  science  re- 
cognizes no  so-called  "natural  rights ;"  even  the  fundamental 
right  to  life  is  enjoyed  by  an  individual  only  in  so  far  as  the 
state  grants  it  to  him.  All  the  rights  that  the  state  grants 
to  an  individual  carry  with  them  certain  obligations  which 
the  individual  owes  to  the  state,  such  as  obedience  to  the 
law,  payment  of  taxes,  etc. 

Carrying  this  reasoning  further,  every  public  utility 
and  corporation  begins  with  the  right  of  eminent  domain, 
granted  by  the  state.  This  makes  the  public  a  partner  and 
it  is  the  right  of  the  public  to  compel  its  operation  for  its 
convenience.  So  also  every  form  of  business  exists  because 
the  public  is  willing  to  pay  for  its  product.  The  public  is  the 
ultimate  paymaster  and  as  such  has  the  right  to  demand  a 
fair  return. 

Now  a  capitalist,  in  the  broadest  sense,  is  merely  an 
individual  who  holds  control  over  wealth  that  is  to  go  into 
productive  processes.  Even  in  a  socialistic  state,  the  officer 
in  charge  of  the  placing  of  wealth  in  productive  enterprises 


The  Responsibility  of  the  Capitalist  to  the  Public  19 

would  be  a  capitalist,  differing  only  from  the  capitalist  under 
our  system  of  private  property,  in  that  he  would  not  suffer 
the  loss  occasioned  by  his  mistakes.  But  the  point  is  that 
the  capitalist,  holding  the  right  and  power  over  wealth,  also 
owes  corresponding  obligations  to  the  public  in  the  proper 
use  of  it.  Rauschenbusch  says,  "Every  man  who  holds 
wealth  or  power  is  not  only  a  steward  of  God,  but  a  steward 
of  the  people.  If  he  converts  it  to  his  own  use,  the  people 
can  justly  call  him  to  account  in  the  courts  of  public  opinion 
and  in  the  courts  of  law."-°  Of  course  these  words  are  not 
intended  to  be  taken  in  absolute  literalism  but  simply  to 
convey  the  idea  that  the  capitalist  is  vested  with  a  high 
degree  of  responsibility  in  the  wise  administration  of  the 
wealth  which  he  controls. 

The  importance  of  this  responsibility  is  only  em- 
phasized when  we  consider  the  crucial  position  that  the 
capitalist  holds  in  the  determination  of  the  progress  of  our 
entire  civilization.  A  writer  in  the  Manchester  Guardian 
says,  "He  who  controls  capital,  controls  the  economic  life 
of  a  country.  He  can  withhold  financial  assistance  and  ruin 
a  man,  can  grant  it  and  make  a  man  flourish,  can  facilitate 
large  economic  tendencies,  can  encourage  or  discourage  the 
growth  of  "big  business,"  the  trust,  "small  business,"  the 
independent  trader  or  the  producer.  His  influence  extends 
beyond  individuals  and  classes  to  the  state  and  society  as  a 
whole.  In  a  very  important  sense,  the  mastery  of  capital  in 
a  country  is  the  mastery  of  that  country."^! 

Now  the  term  "capitalist"  may  include  almost  as  many 
individuals  as  the  term  "public,"  for  everyone  who  owns 
even  as  much  as  a  thrift  stamp  holds  some  power  over 
wealth.  However  we  shall  deal  with  the  more  common  idea 
of  a  capitalist  as  a  person  of  large  property  which  is  em- 
ployed in  business  and  whose  consequent  power  is  of  con- 
siderable importance. 

But  what  did  Jesus  think  ?    Did  He  believe  that  capital- 

20.     Rauschenbusch:    Christianity  21.     Living-      Age:      Mastery      of 

and  the  Social  Crisis,  p.  385.  Capital,   V.   289,   123-5,   Jl  13, 

•18. 


20  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

ism  should  be  abolished  and  men  put  on  an  equal  economic 
footing  as  some  socialists  advocate?  He  did  not.  Rather, 
He  recognized  capitalism  as  a  necessity.  The  best  illustra- 
tion of  His  belief  is  in  the  parable  of  the  talents  where  one 
man  is  given  five  talents,  another  two,  and  still  another  only- 
one.  This  is  in  itself  a  record  that  He  did  not  beheve  that 
men  could  ever  be  equal  in  their  possessions  and  abilities. 

We  shall  take  up  the  responsibilities  of  the  capitalist 
to  the  public,  as  taught  by  Jesus,  under  four  heads,  viz :  (1) 
the  obligation  of  service,  (2)  the  obligation  of  oversight  of 
labor,  (3)  the  obligation  of  sacrifice  and  (4)  the  personal 
obligation  of  example. 

2.    THE  OBLIGATION  OF  SERVICE 

The  first  principle  which  Jesus  lays  down  Is  that  of 
faithful  and  honorable  service  with  capital.  This  teaching 
is  found  mainly  in  the  parable  of  the  talents-  and  its  sister 
parable  of  the  pounds-^  In  the  parable  of  the  talents  a 
master  gives  to  the  care  of  one  of  his  servants  five  talents, 
to  another  two,  and  to  a  third  only  one.  On  calling  them  to 
account  he  finds  that  the  servant  entrusted  with  the  five 
had  traded  with  them  and  doubled  their  quantity.  The 
servant  with  the  two  talents  had  done  likewise  and  to  both 
of  these  he  gave  his  blessing.  But  the  servant  with  only 
the  one  talent  hid  it  in  the  earth  and  could  show  no  growth 
in  his  trust.  He  incurred  the  condemnation  of  the  master 
and  was  forced  to  give  up  his  talent  to  the  first  servant.  The 
parable  of  the  pounds  is  Luke's  version  of  the  same  story. 

Here  we  find  men  entrusted  with  capital.  In  applying 
this  parable,  they,  (and  it  is  significant  to  note  that  they  are 
servants)  are  the  capitalists.  The  master  may  De  compared 
to  the  public.  The  public  entrusts  this  wealth  to  the  capital- 
ist and  it  is  expected  of  him  that  he  will  put  it  to  productive 
use.  Those  who  use  this  privilege  and  faithfully  execute 
their  trust  are  to  be  commended  and  their  reward,  as  the 
parable  continues,  is  that  of  even  greater  trusts.  But  those 
who  abuse  the  privilege  and  are  unable  to  show  good  result 

22.     Matt.  24:14-31.  23.     Luke    19:13-26. 


The  Responsibility  of  the  Capitalist  to  the  Public  21 

from  their  period  of  possession  are  the  right  subjects  of 
censure  from  the  public  and  stand  to  lose  that  which  has 
been  entrusted  to  them. 

The  parable  of  the  barren  fig  tree-*  is  a  contmuation  of 
this  thought  with  the  added  element  of  warning.  Here 
Christ  expresses  the  fact  that  He  receives  no  satisfaction 
from  a  merely  negative  righteousness,  the  life  must  be 
positively  fruitful.  So  the  capitalist  who  makes  no  use  of  his 
trust,  even  though  he  may  not  lose  it,  does  not  fulfill  his 
duty  unless  he  actually  adds  something  to  the  existing  store 
of  wealth. 

Now  we  may  ask,  in  what  way  can  the  capitalist  use  his 
trust  that  he  may  act  in  accord  with  Christ's  teaching  ?  His 
first  eifort  should  be  to  discriminate  as  to  the  employment 
he  makes  of  it,  that  the  best  interests  of  the  public  will  be 
served.  The  man  who  places  his  capital  in  forms  of  industry 
where  poor  working  conditions  are  afforded,  v/here  employees 
are  worked  to  the  point  of  exhaustion,  wheie  women  and 
children  pour  out  their  very  life  strength  to  earn  a  meagre 
living  while  he  (the  capitalist)  grows  fat  and  lounges  in 
luxury  at  their  expense  is  not  putting  his  capital  to  honor- 
able service.  The  man  who  engages  in  a  traffic  whereby  the 
morals  of  individuals  are  degraded,  where  men  and  women 
become  physical  and  mental  wrecks,  where  social  disease  is 
fostered  with  its  consequences  that  inflict  punishment  on 
generations  to  follow,  that  man  is  abusing  his  trust  in  a 
most  blameworthy  manner.  The  best  test  is  for  the  capital- 
ist to  ask  himself  "Is  my  wealth  serving  a  social  good  ?"  The 
man  who  places  his  money  in  the  production  of  a  necessary 
commodity  which  may  serve  to  build  up  the  physical 
strength  of  the  public,  which  may  serve  to  raise  its  standard 
of  living,  which  may  serve  to  add  to  its  knowledge,  which 
may  serve  to  develop  individual  character  or  add  a  means  of 
wholesome  enjoyment  for  individuals,  that  man  is  to  be 
commended,  he  is  rendering  faithful  and  honorable  service 
with  his  capital. 

24.     Luke   13:6-9. 


22  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

3.  THE  OBLIGATION  OF  OVERSIGHT  OF  LABOR. 

That  the  capitaHst,  especially  when  he  is  an  employer, 
should  maintain  a  careful  and  humane  oversight  of  his  em- 
ployees is  the  second  great  principle  which  Jesus  lays  down. 
The  teachings  on  this  point  are  many  and  very  clear.  The 
first  we  shall  examine  is  the  parable  of  the  vineyard^^  Here 
we  see  the  master  of  a  vineyard  go  out  into  the  market- 
place several  times  during  the  day  and  each  time  hire  all  he 
found  without  work,  contracting  with  each  individually.  At 
the  end  of  the  day,  each  was  remunerated  as  contracted  for 
and  this  is  found  to  be  the  same  sum  in  each  case.  We  have 
here  two  distinct  teachings.  First,  looking  at  tne  capitalist 
as  being  the  master  of  the  vineyard,  he  is  charged  to  pro- 
vide employment  for  all  those  who  are  in  need  oi  it.  Second- 
ly, looking  at  him  as  being  one  of  those  whom  the  master 
hired,  we  learn  that  the  reward  which  God  gives  for  service 
rendered  him  is  based  on  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  given, 
rather  than  the  amount  given.  A  similar  thought  is  found 
in  Mark  6 :7-12  where  Jesus  sent  out  His  disciples,  in  pairs, 
commanding  each  to  take  nothing  with  him  save  a  staff,  and 
giving  them  permission  to  enter  any  house  that  they  might 
choose  as  their  abode.  He  gave  strength  to  the  charge  by 
promising  the  most  dire  consequences  to  any  that  might 
refuse  to  receive  them.  Here  we  may  liken  the  employer 
capitalist  to  those  whom  Jesus  ordered  to  receive  His 
disciples.  Again  in  the  Beatitudes-'^  we  find  tnree  verses 
bearing  on  this  point.  The  seventh  verse,  "Blessed  are  the 
merciful:  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy"  is  a  charge  that 
men  should  cultivate  a  sympathetic  feeling  toward  each 
other,  the  eighth  verse,  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart:  for 
they  shall  see  God"  is  a  charge  that  men  should  hold  their 
fellow  men  in  deep  reverence  and  respect,  and  verse  nine, 
"Blessed  are  the  peacemaers:  for  they  shall  be  called  the 
children  of  God"  is  a  charge  that  men  should  use  their 
efforts  in  promoting  the  principles  of  love.  With  all  the 
immense  powers  for  good  or  evil  possessed  by  the  capitalist, 

25.     Matt.   20:1-16.  26.     Matt.   5:3-11. 


The  Responsibility  of  the  Capitalist  to  the  Public  23 

as  previously  pointed  out,  he  is  especially  charged  by  these 
passages  to  the  highest  degree  of  care  over  those  to  whom 
his  control  extends.  Lastly  we  observe  what  C.  C.  Arbuthnot 
has  termed  the  "economic  miracles"  of  Jesus,  (1)  the  turn- 
ing of  the  water  into  wine  at  Cana,  (2)  the  feeding  of  the 
multitudes  with  loaves  and  fishes,  and  (3)  the  draughts  of 
fishes.  These  are  all  indications  of  the  Master's  care  for 
the  physical  happiness  and  well-being  of  men.  To  the 
capitalist  they  teach  the  responsibility  for  a  similar  care 
over  his  workers. 

But  let  us  enlarge  upon  this  subject.  Take  tne  matter  of 
the  capitalist's  attitude  toward  his  workers.  It  is  a  claim 
against  him  that  he  gives  undue  importance  to  the  element 
of  capital  in  the  productive  process  while  the  labor  factor 
is  neglected.  "In  depressed  times  when  dividends  upon 
capital  are  likely  to  be  impaired,  it  is  a  common  incident  of 
big  business  to  discharge  large  groups  of  workers,  thereby 
depriving  their  families  of  any  dividends  on  their  labor  in- 
vestment. Yet  upon  what  democratic  theory  can  this  pre- 
ference of  capital  interest  to  labor  interest  be  justified?"" 
Such  firms  would  say  that  it  is  not  "good  business"  to  keep 
a  high  wage  charge  when  business  is  dull  and  thereby 
decrease  profits.  Jesus  would  say  that  what  is  lost  in  im- 
mediate profit  will  be  gained  in  the  good  will  of  the  workers, 
a  good  will  that  means  greater  future  profits.  Many 
capitalists  have  come  to  realize  this  as  a  fact  when  they 
observe  that  the  cost  of  hiring  and  firing,  and  the  difficulty 
of  again  getting  labor  when  it  is  needed  often  more  than 
equals  the  saving  of  lessened  wages  during  the  period  of 
depression. 

Ruskin  makes  an  interesting  observation  on  this  ques- 
tion in  his  "Unto  This  Last"  when  he  points  out  that  the 
greatest  quantity  of  work  will  not  be  gained  from  the 
workman  when  he  is  put  under  pressure  or  when  he  is  aided 
with  machinery,  etc.  but  "it  will  be  done  only  when  the 
motive  force,  that  is  to  say,  the  will  or  spirit  of  the  creature 

27.  New  Repub:  Democratization 
of  Industry,  V.  11,  49-51,  My 
12   '17. 


24  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

(the  workman),  is  brought  to  its  greatest  strength  by  its 
own  proper  fuel:  namely,  by  the  affections."-' 

But  let  us  look  over  some  ot  the  means  by  which  this 
obligation  of  oversight  may  be  met.  First,  we  may  place 
proper  working  conditions.  This  includes  well-lighted, 
ventilated  and  sanitary  factories,  safe-guarded  machinery 
and  other  safety  appliances,  elimination  of  the  slave-driving 
type  of  superintendence,  and  hours  suitable  to  the  type  of 
work.  Secondly,  ample  wages.  Remuneration  should  be 
sufficient  to  enable  the  workers  to  secure  all  the  necessaries 
of  life  and  some  recreation.  It  has  been  found  by  social 
workers  in  large  cities  that  one  of  the  principal  causes  of 
prostitution  among  young  working  girls  is  the  fact  that 
they  do  not  receive  sufficient  wages  to  maintain  their 
physical  existence.  Third,  housing  facilities.  Here  is  a 
very  important  duty.  Workers  should  be  aided  or  en- 
couraged in  other  ways  to  own  their  own  homes.  These 
homes  should  be  made  cheery  and  refreshing ;  something  in 
addition  to  mere  shelter  from  the  elements. 

These  few  points  cover  the  main  obligations  of  over- 
sight and  it  may  be  noticed  that  they  may  be  summed  up 
in  one  motive,  namely,  that  of  increasing  the  standard  of 
living  among  the  workers.  This  is  a  subject  of  which 
economists  have  made  an  exhaustive  study.  It  would  seem 
that  if  you  teach  men  to  want  more  conveniences  such  de- 
sires would  only  tend  to  make  them  even  poorer.  However 
the  results  are  different.  Marshall  points  out  that  a  rise  in 
the  standard  of  living  increases  efficiency  and  consequently 
the  earning  power  of  labor.  So  we  see  the  result  is  for  the 
good  of  all  concerned.-" 

4.    THE  OBLIGATION  OF  SACRIFICE 

That  the  capitalist  should  be  in  readiness  at  all  times 
when  need  might  arise  to  sacrifice  himself  and  his  money, 
is  the  third  principle  laid  down  by  Jesus.  His  most  important 
teaching  on  this  point  is  found  in  the  parable  of  the  king  and 

28.     Ruskin:    Unto    This    Last,    p.  29.     Marshall:         Principles         of 

10.  Economics,   p.   6S0. 


The  Responsibility  of  the  Capitalist  to  the  Public  25 

his  debtor.^"  Here  a  king  forgave  his  debtor-servant  an 
obligation  of  ten  thousand  talents  rather  than  enslave  the 
man,  his  wife  and  children.  In  Mark  8:34  He  says,  "Who- 
soever will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himselt  and  take  up 
his  cross  and  follow  me".  Matthew  9:36  reads  "But  when 
He  saw  the  multitudes  He  was  moved  with  compassion  for 
them,  because  they  were  distressed  and  scattered,  as  sheep 
not  having  a  shepherd".  Also  in  Beatitudes^^  the  thought 
is  again  written  in  verse  seven,  "Blessed  are  the  merciful: 
for  they  shall  obtain  mercy." 

In  these  teachings  we  find  an  economic  program  es- 
pecially designed  for  the  capitalists  which  may  be  summed 
up  as  follows:  (1)  they,  being  stronger,  are  to  act  as 
brothers  to  their  weaker  fellow-men,  (2)  they  are  to  help 
the  latter  by  sharing  with  them  the  good  things  of  life 
v/hich  they  have,  and  (3)  they  are  to  avoid  such  absorption 
in  the  material  things  of  life  as  might  interfere  with  their 
attainment  of  the  Kingdom. 

The  capitalist  is  here  charged  in  two  different  ways; 
first,  where  there  is  a  direct  obligation  as  where  he  has  a 
debtor,  he  should  be  merciful  with  him  if  deserving,  and 
second,  where  there  is  an  indirect  obligation,  as  where  a 
person  or  group  of  persons  is  caught  in  a  situation  where 
help  is  needed,  he  should  be  generous  in  aiding  relief. 

The  first  charge  does  not  mean  that  the  capitalist 
should  absolutely  forgive  a  debtor  of  his  just  debt  for  such 
an  action  would  encourage  idleness.  A  suggestion  even  on 
this  point  is  found  in  Romans  12:11  in  the  words,  "Not 
slothful  in  business ;  f ervant  in  spirit ;  serving  the  Lord"  and 
in  Proverbs  10=4,  "He  becometh  poor  that  dealeth  with  a 
slack  hand:  but  the  hand  of  the  dihgent  maketh  rich." 
So  the  creditor  who  does  not  make  an  effort  to  see  that  the 
debtor  meets  his  obligation  is  doing  harm.  But  the  point 
of  the  teaching  is  as  to  the  method  of  such  effort.  Some 
capitalists  might  do  as  did  the  servant  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  first  mentioned  parable  when,  after  having  been  for- 
given by  the  king  for  his  huge  debt,  he  turned  on  another 

30.     Matt.  18:23-35. 


26  Essays  in  A'pplied  Christianity 

servant  to  whom  he  was  creditor  for  a  trifling  amount  and 
caused  him  to  be  thrown  into  prison  for  his  inabihty  to  pay. 
This  method  is  about  as  successful  as  it  turned  out  in  this 
parable  where  the  king  later  punished  the  ungracious  ser- 
vant for  his  action  toward  the  smaller  debtor.  T!ie  man  who 
uses  this  method  seldom  gets  the  full  amount  of  the  debt. 
The  capitalist  who  is  guided  by  Jesus'  teaching  uses  His  more 
constructive  method.  The  debtor  is  visited;  an  effort  is 
made  to  find  out  why  he  is  unable  to  pay,  and  if  it  is  due  to 
reasons  which  might  be  removed,  help  is  rendered  and  he  is 
put  on  his  feet  again.  Large  mercantile  businesses,  having 
bad  debts  outstanding,  now  realize  that  the  way  to  insure 
their  payment  is  to  render  aid  which  will  again  put  the 
debtor  on  a  good  financial  footing  and  thus  enable  him  to 
meet  his  obligations.  This  has  more  advantages  than  the 
method  of  crushing  the  unfortunate  for  here,  not  only  is  the 
entire  debt  usually  recovered,  but  a  grateful  customer  is 
kept  for  the  house,  which  is  in  itself  an  asset  of  no  incon- 
siderable importance. 

The  second,  or  indirect  obligation  arises  m  such  cases 
as  disasters  caused  by  floods,  cyclones,  earthquakes,  etc. 
This  is  a  charge  of  charity,  or  benevolence.  Capital  already 
acknowledges  this  obligation  in  a  very  hopeful  way,  for  very 
seldom  does  such  a  catastrophe  overcome  a  section  of  the 
country  with  great  injury  to  the  people,  that  immense  sums 
of  wealth  are  not  poured  forth  by  those  who  can  afford  it, 
to  relieve  the  suffering. 

In  the  matter  of  charity,  however,  we  should  observe 
the  note  in  the  Master's  teaching  that  emphasizes  the  im- 
portance of  the  spirit  in  which  the  charity  is  tendered. 
Peabody  says,  "The  perversion  of  charity  into  a  form  of  self- 
justification  or  self-esteem  finds  no  support  in  the  teachings 
of  Jesus  Christ.  On  the  contrary  He  demands  a  rigid  self- 
inquiry  into  the  motives  of  the  giving."^-  Jesus,  realizing 
dangers  such  as  these  does  not  give  a  high  place  to  the  giv- 
ing of  alms  as  a  means  of  using  money.     He  aays,  "Take 

31.     Matt.   5:3-12.  32.     Peabody:  The  Christian  Life 

in  the  Modern  World,  p.  150. 


The  Responsibility  of  the  Capitalist  to  the  Public  27 

heed  that  ye  do  not  give  alms  before  men  to  be  seen  of 
them,"^^  and  "But  when  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy  right 
hand  know  what  thy  left  hand  doeth"^*.  Another  illustration 
is  found  in  the  story  of  the  poor  widow^^  where  the  two 
mites  she  threw  into  the  treasury  were  given  a  higher  value 
by  Him  than  many  of  the  larger  gifts  of  others ;  the  cause 
of  the  difference  being  the  spirit  in  which  the  former  were 
given.  Then  another  danger  which  Jesus  recognized  in  the 
giving  of  alms  was  that  it  caused  the  recipients  to  lessen  the 
importance  of  their  rendering  service  for  that  which  they 
received.  One  of  the  greatest  tasks  faced  by  philanthropists 
is  the  distribution  of  their  gifts  to  avoid  such  possibilities  as 
these. 

5.    THE  PERSONAL  OBLIGATION  OF  EXAMPLE 

The  fourth  principle  that  Jesus  expounds  to  guide  the 
capitalists  is  the  responsibility  of  setting  a  good  example 
This  might  be  said  to  be  more  of  a  personal  obligation  be- 
cause its  pertinence  to  them  is  based  on  the  power  they  have 
in  the  possession  of  wealth  rather  than  on  the  fact  that  they 
are  capitalists.  It  is  based  on  the  realization  that  the  use  of 
money  is  essentially  a  social  act  and  always  affects  the 
public  as  a  whole  as  much  as  the  one  who  uses  it. 

The  law  that  Jesus  lays  down  is  that  the  aomg  of  good 
is  a  contagious  thing,  especially  when  done  by  men  of  power. 
Conversely,  the  doing  of  evil  has  a  degrading  etiect  on  those 
who  deserve  it,  and  this  again  is  accentuated  when  done  by 
men  of  influence.  The  keynote  of  this  lesson  is  struck  in  the 
words  "Even  so  every  good  tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit ; 
but  a  corrupt  tree  bringeth  forth  evil  fruit"'*'.  This  is  im- 
mediately followed  with  the  warning  "Every  tree  that 
bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the 
fire'"^'.  We  also  find,  concerning  this  point,  "As  we  have 
therefore  oportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men,  especially 
unto  those  who  are  of  the  household  of  faith"^^,  "But  to  do 
good  and  communicate,  forget  not :  for  with  such  sacrifices, 

33.  Matt.    6:1.  36.     Matt.   7:17. 

34.  Matt.   6:3.  37.     Matt.   7:19. 

35.  Mark  12:42.  38.     Galatians  6:10. 


28  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

God  is  well  pleased"2^  and  "Therefore  all  things  whatsoever 
ye  would  have  that  men  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  unto 
them"*". 

This  is  a  lesson  built  upon  the  power  of  the  human  per- 
sonality. The  reflection  of  the  high  character  and  the  good 
motives  of  a  Christian  capitalist  exerts  an  influence  over  all 
who  observe  him  that  causes  them,  unconsciously,  to  want 
to  imitate  his  ways.  As  Rauschenbusch  has  put  it,  "The 
greatest  contribution  which  a  man  can  make  to  the  social 
movement  is  the  contribution  of  a  regenerated  personality, 
of  a  will  which  sets  justice  above  policy  and  profit,  and  of 
an  intellect  em.ancipated  from  falsehood.  His  example  will 
be  a  wellspring  of  regenerating  influences." 

Let  us  now  inquire  into  some  of  the  uses  of  wealth  by 
which  the  capitalists  should  set  a  good  example  to  the  public 
and  see  the  results  of  their  failure  to  do  this.    First,    we 
may  place  the  question    of  extravagance.     The    man    who 
spends  his  money  lavishly  without  thinking  of  i^e  effect  of 
such  action,  not  only  sets  an  injurious  example  to  the  great 
mass  of  people  but  also  does  himself  moral  injury.     Take 
the  example  of  an  expensive  dinner  in  which  tnousands  of 
dollars  are  spent  on  decorations,  clothes,  and  especially  per- 
sonal services.     Large  numbers  of  people  are  employed  to 
make  preparations  for  such  an  occasion  with  the  result  that 
they  are  drawn    from    the    production    of    essential   com- 
modities to  a  business  which  is  of  no  social  good.    The  pur- 
chase of  such  services  without  regard  to  cost,  moreover  is 
one  of  the  things  which  makes  profiteering  so  widespread. 
Prices  are  set,  based  upon  the  amount  that  can  be  extorted, 
without  reference  to  the  cost  of  the  service.    Tnis  tendency 
spreads  to  the  price  of  essential  commodities  and  the  cost  of 
living  for  everyone  is  increased.    As  such  functions  become 
more  and  more  elaborate,  others  attempt  to  emulate  them 
and  expenses  are  incurred  far  beyond  their  ability  to  pay. 
The  bad  effect  of  such  ostentation  is  intensified  when  one 
considers  that  it  is  taking  place  in  a  supposedly  democratic 

39.  Hebrews    13:16.  41.     Rauschenbusch:    Christianity 

40.  Matt.  7:12.  and  the  Social  Crisis,  p.   351. 


The  Responsibility  of  the  Capitalist  to  the  Public  29 

country.  Certainly  the  man  who  always  attempts  to  out- 
shine his  neighbors  cannot  be  said  to  be  possessed  of  a 
democratic  spirit.  Another  way  in  which  an  unaemocratic 
spirit  is  manifested  by  the  capitalists  is  in  their  tendency  to 
remove  themselves  to  certain  sections  of  a  city.  In  their 
endeavor  to  escape  from  the  public  gaze,  they  subject  them- 
selves to  many  distorted  ideas,  on  the  part  of  the  public. 
This  is  one  of  the  causes  of  class  antagonism  in  this  country. 
Many  of  these  ideas  are  absolutely  unjust  and  due  only  to 
the  ignorance  of  those  who  hold  them.  Yet  the  rich  are 
alone  to  blame  in  their  disinclination  to  associate  with 
others.  Proverbs  1:32  gives  a  warning  here  with  "And  the 
prosperity  of  fools  shall  destroy  them." 

But  how  may  these  conditions  be  changed  ?  In  the  first 
place,  no  better  example  could  be  set  than  that  of  thrift, 
economy,  and  the  demand  for  a  dollar's  worth  for  a  dollar 
spent.  Thrift  is  valuable  not  only  for  the  economic  ad- 
vantages it  obtains  but  even  as  much  as  a  means  of  moral 
education.  The  reckless  spender  not  only  loses  his  money 
but  also  his  self-control.  The  setting  of  an  example  of 
thrift  by  the  capitalist  will  operate  to  good  in  several  ways, 
(1)  it  will  remove  the  cause  of  many  of  the  distorted  views 
that  the  public  holds  toward  him,  (2)  it  will  also  teach  them 
(the  pubhc)  thrift,  with  the  result  of  better  economic  con- 
ditions which  will  in  a  great  part  remove  the  desire  of  many 
of  them  to  condemn  wealth  and  (3)  it  will  result  in  the 
greater  production  of  necessary  commodities  with  resulting 
lower  prices  and  the  greater  purchasing  power  of  a  dollar. 

A  second  point  in  which  the  capitalist  should  set  a  good 
example  is  in  the  matter  of  charity  and  philanthropy.  One 
of  the  saddest  things  in  the  world  is  a  man  who  has  been 
able  to  am.ass  great  wealth  and  is  then  unable  to  put  it  to 
use  without  the  result  of  great  social  harm.  Philanthropists 
are  constantly  plagued  by  parasitic  individuals  seeking  gifts 
for  objects  which  are  of  no  greater  purpose  than  to  relieve 
them  of  some  of  their  wealth.  Unless  thorough  and  exhaus- 
tive investigation  is  made  into  the  object  of  the  project 


30  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

seeking  assistance,  the  money  is  usually  squandered  and 
impetus  given  for  the  springing  up  of  a  class  of  parasites 
who  live  by  such  extortion.  Again  the  philanthropist  must 
guard  against  the  possibility  that  he  will  be  charged  with 
giving  in  a  spirit  of  ostentation.  This  is  a  possibility  that 
Jesus  warned  against  in  the  giving  of  alms,  as  previously 
explained.  If  the  gift  has  even  a  tinge  of  such  purpose,  it 
immediately  receives  His  disapprobation. 

No  man  can  take  his  wealth  with  him  when  he  dies.  He 
must  either  dispose  of  it  before  then  or  let  it  revert  to  his 
children.  This  brings  us  to  the  third  means  by  which  the 
capitalist  should  set  a  good  example,  and  in  which  he  often 
does  not,  namely,  in  answering  the  question,  how  much  he 
shall  leave  to  his  children.  The  histories  of  the  children  of 
the  rich  have  been  a  pitiful  monument  to  the  short-sighted- 
ness of  their  parents.  Prof.  G.  H.  Palmer,  of  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, gives  an  illuminating  discussion  of  this  subject 
when  he  says,  "It  is  acknowledged  that  the  most  question- 
able advantage  of  large  wealth  is  in  its  influence  on  children. 
Those  who  acquire  it  are  likely  to  grow  with  its  pursuit,  and 
the  control  over  the  world  which  it  brings  to  its  vigorous 
accumulation  is  not  unfavorable  to  enjoyment  or  to  still 
further  advance.  But  children  who  have  never  known  want, 
get  few  deep  draughts  of  joy.  Whoever  prizes  human  con- 
ditions in  proportion  to  their  tendency  to  develop  powers 
must  commiserate  the  children  of  the  rich  and  think  of  them 
as  our  unfortunate  class.  They  associate  less  with  their 
parents  than  do  others ;  their  goings  and  comings  are  more 
hampered;  they  are  not  so  easily  habituated  to  regular 

tasks ; and  when  tempted  to  vice  or  mediocrity  they 

have  little  counter  compulsion  to  support  their  better  pur- 
pose. Wise  rich  parents  know  these  dangers  and  give  their 
anxious  thought  to  shielding  their  children  from  the  ener- 
vating influence  of  wealth"*-.  When  we  bear  in  mind  that 
out  of  every  seventeen  men  who  inherit  wealth  only  one  dies 
rich*^  we  are  astounded  at  the  great  social  waste  occasioned 

42.     Henderson:      Social      Duties  43.     Russell  Conwell  in  American 

from     a  Christian     Point    of  Mag.  Apr.  1916,  p.  06. 

View,  p.   265. 


The  Responsibility  of  tlie  Capitalist  to  the  Public  31 

by  the  injudicious  answer  made  to  this  question  by  so  many 
wealthy  parents.  The  capitalist  who  sets  the  good  example 
is  the  one  who  puts  his  children  on  their  own  resources  and 
permits  them  to  draw  out  the  good  things  of  the  world  only 
in  the  proportion  that  they  invest  their  lives. 

All  these  observations  point  to  the  conclusion  that  to  be 
a  capitalist  is  a  difficult  task,  and  also  that  to  be  a  Christian 
capitalist  is  a  vastly  greater  one.  The  crux  of  the  whole 
question  is  that  wealth  seems  to  lose  to  those  who  gain  it 
that  all-important  Christian  quality  of  humility.  The  de- 
grading effect  of  an  excessive  possession  of  material  goods 
is  the  principal  cause  of  most  of  our  social  problems.  This 
is  what  Jesus  referred  to  as  the  "deceitfulness  of  riches" 
and  what  Paul  had  in  mind  when  he  said  "Charge  them  that 
are  rich  in  this  world  that  they  be  not  high-minded,  nor 
trust  in  uncertain  riches,  but  in  the  living  God,  who  giveth 
us  all  things  richly  to  enjoy."** 

The  first  four  verses  of  the  Beatitudes*^  gives  a  com- 
prehensive guide  to  the  capitalist  in  the  matter  of  setting 
a  good  example.  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit :  for  their's  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven"  is  a  charge  to  live  always  in  an 
attitude  of  teachable  humility,  democratic  and  ever  regard- 
ing the  rights  and  welfare  of  others,  "Blessed  are  they  that 
mourn:  for  they  shall  be  comforted"  is  a  plea  for  genuine 
penitence,  seeking  ever  to  live  in  accord  with  Christ's 
teaching,  "Blessed  are  the  meek:  for  they  shall  inherit  the 
earth"  is  an  observation  that  self-control  in  its  highest 
sense  should  be  the  goal  of  all  their  strivings,  and  "Blessed 
are  they  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness:  for 
they  shall  be  filled"  is  the  exhortation  that  men  should 
always  be  persistently  eager  to  attain  for  themselves  the 
highest  type  of  character.  Rev.  W.  M.  Clow  has  clothed  the 
thought  beautifully  when  he  says,  "There  is  no  finer 
character  than  that  of  the  man  who  continues  simple  and 
self -controlled  in  his  tastes,  lowly  in  his  temper  and  gener- 
ous in  his  dealings,  midst  great  possessions."*" 

44.  1    Timothy    6:17.  46.     W.  M.  Clow:     Christ  and  the 

45.  Matt.  5:3-6.  Social  Order. 


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G.  Taylor:    Social  Aspects  of  Thrift.    Survey,  37:83-4,  Oct. 
28,  '16. 

Russell  Conwell:  What  You  Can  Do  with  Your  Will  Power. 

American  Mag,  p.  96,  Apr,  '16. 

2.    BOOKS 

The  Holy  Bible. 

W.  M.  Clow:  Christ  and  the  Social  Order. 
G.  Cunningham :    The  Life  and  Words  of  Christ.  New  York, 
D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1883. 

G.  B.  Stevens:  The  Teachings  of  Jesus.    New  York,   The 
Macmillan  Co.,  1901. 

S.  Mathews:     The  Social  Teachings  of  Jesus.  New  York, 
The  Macmillan  Co.,  1897. 

J.  B.  Clark :    The  Philosophy  of  Wealth,  Boston,  1886. 
Ruskin:    Unto  this  Last. 

R.   E.   Speer :   The  Principles   of  Jesus.    New  York  ,  The 
Macmillan  Co.,  1905. 

N.  D.  Hillis :    The  Influence  of  Christ  in  Modern  Life.    New 
York,  The  Macmillan  Co.,  1904. 

J.  W.  Jenks:    Social  Signficance  of  the  Life  and  Teachings 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

H.C.King:    The  Ethics  of  Jesus.    New  York,  The  Macmil- 
lan Co.,  1910. 


34  Essays  in  Applied  Christianity 

R.  T.  Ely:  Social  Aspects  of  Christianity,  1889. 

T.  N.  Carver :    Essays  in  Social  Justice. 

J.  B.  Clark:    The  Philosophy  of  Wealth,  Boston,  1886. 

J.  Cook:  Labor.    "Is  Justice  a  Peril  to  Capitalists?" 

J.  B.  Harrison :    Certain  Dangerous  Tendencies  in  American 
Life.    "The  Career  of  a  Capitalist." 

Rauschenbusch :    The  Social  Principles  of  Jesus. 
Ruskin:    Unto  this  Last. 

F.  G.  Peabody:    Jesus  Christ  and  the  Social  Question.  New 
York,  The  Macmillan  Co.,  1907. 

Rauschenbusch:     Christianity  and  the  Social  Crisis.    New 
York,  The  Macmillon  Co.,  1907. 

Heuver:  Jesus'  Teaching  Concerning  Wealth. 

Stephen :  Social  Rights  and  Duties. 

C.  R.  Henderson :    Social  Duties  from  the  Christian  Point  of 

View.  Uni.  of  Chicago  Press,  1909. 

J.    P.   Peters:      Modern   Christianity.    New    York,    G.    P. 
Putnam's  Sons,  1900. 

J.  G.  Brooks:    The  Social  Unrest. 

W.  Gladden:    The  New  Idolatry.    McCIurg,  Phillips  and  Co., 
1905. 

Rauschenbusch:  Christianizing  the  Social  Order. 

F.  J.  Peabody:     The  Christian  Life  in  the  Modern   World. 

New  York,  The  Macmillan  Co.,  1914. 
Marshall:    Principles  of  Economics. 

B.  S.  Rowntree:    The  Way  to  Industrial  Peace. 

C.  Geicke :    The  Life  and  Words  of  Christ.    New  York,  Chas. 
Scribner  and  Sons,  1900. 

Murray  and  Harris :  Christian  Standards  of  Life. 

T.  N.  Carver :    The  Religion  Worth  Having. 


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